Steam iron and support



Dec. 16, 1958 R. PRAUD 2,864,186

STEAM IRON AND SUPPORT Filed Feb. 24, 1955 INVENTOR.

R808 Fraud BY h J w ITTYJ.

United States Patent STEAM IRON AND SUPPORT Ren Praud, Tangier, Morocco,assignor to Societe Industrielle pour le Perfectionnement des ApparerlsMenagers (S. I. P. A. M.), Tangier, Morocco, a com- P y ApplicationFebruary 24, 1955, Serial No. 490,343 Claims priority, applicationNetherlands March 3, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) This invention relatesto a steam projecting apparatus, preferably for the treatment ofsurfaces, especially for ironing, said apparatus self-producing itsvapour.

The known apparatus of such a type allow a limited number of operationsonly due to the fact that the apparatus can only be used in a determinedposition if the steam production must occur normally. This invention hasfor its object to obviate this drawback.

For this purpose, the apparatus according to the invention is arranged,both inside and outside, to be usable on the one hand in its normalposition, one the other hand in its upside down position. to use theapparatus according to the invention for various purposes. One of themost interesting is the ironing. The invention therefore relatesespecially to steam ironing machines and flat irons. But it is alsopossible to use the apparatus according to the invention, for example,for ungluing wallpaper, for projecting, as a vapour, some determinedproduct on a surface. Along these lines, it is possible, when ironing tostarch or to waterproof a cloth. The apparatus according to theinvention may also be used for other purposes than the treatment ofsurfaces, for example for air conditioning.

In an advantageous embodiment, the apparatus comprises asteam-generating chamber all the walls of which are very near the heatsource, one or a plurality of small diameter flanged holes beingprovided in the bottom of said steam-generating chamber so as to set thelatter in communication with an overheating chamber, a wall of whichcomprises at least part of the apparatus sole, holes being providedtherein for steam escape.

In another particular embodiment, the steam-generating chamber issupplied in liquid, with adjustable pressure, through at least one verysmall diameter calibrated opening, by a liquid tank independent of theapparatus.

When it happens to be aflat iron, in a particular embodiment, the ironhandle includes means enabling .to put the iron, in an upside-downcondition, on a stand and to set it on said stand with various tilts.

Other details and features of the invention will appear from thedescription of the accompanying drawings which show, by way ofnon-limitative example, a particular embodiment of a flat iron accordingto the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation view, in cross-section, of a flat iron.

Figure 2 is a view from above of the iron of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show the iron of Figures 1 and 2, set on a stand andplaced in various positions.

In the various figures, similar reference numerals pertain to similarelements.

The flat iron shown comprises a heating casing 1 made up of two shells 2and 3, the latter one forming the iron sole or bed plate. The two shellsjoin along their bevelled edge 4. The shell 3 or iron sole has aparticular shape very different of the one of known irons. Its flatsurface is indeed raised, along its complete periphery, by a very gentlecurving. Moreover, it is shown It is thus possible in Figure .2 thatboth ends of the sole or bed plate are rounded, one end beingsubstantially wider than the other.

For the escape of steam, the shell 3 is provided with holes, such as 5.,arranged on its entire surface. Said shell is topped by a partition 6which fits narrowly inside the heating casing and which is hard-solderedalong its contact line with said inside surface. I

To the partition'6 is attached a cup 7 in the bottom of which areprovided flanged holes 8. The cup 7 forms with the corresponding part ofthe partition 6 a steamgenerating chamber 9. Said chamber is supplied bya small rigid pipe 10 which ends, on its upper part, with a calibratedopening 11. The pipe 10 goes freely through the shell 2 and is solderedto the partition 6. The small pipe 10 is supplied by a flexible tube 12bringing cold water from a tank not shown. The water let in by theopening 11 enters in the steam-generating chamber 9. The steam generatedgoes through the holes 8 and flows in an overheating chamber 13 boundedon the one hand by the sole or bed plate 3 and on the other hand by thepartition 6. The steam then escapes through the holes 5.

The partition 6 and the shell 2 are joined by two tubes indicated by 14and 15. The tube 14, which is threaded, is screwed, on the one hand in atapped hole in the partition 6 and goes freely through the shell .2,insuring the attachment of the latter by means of a nut 20. The tube 14is closed by a screw plug 16 with a sealing joint 17.

The tube 15 is curved at its upper part so as to form the armature ofthe iron handle 18. Said handle is made up of two shells of moldedinsulating material, such as 19, joined by a plurality of sunk screws.The lower end of the tube 15 is screwed in -a nut 37 soldered to thepartition '6. A nut 21 is used, as the nut 20, for insuring the clampingof the shell 2 against the shell '3, all along the bevelled edge 4.

Two heating resistors 22 and 38, connected in parallel, are housedbetween the partition '6 and the shell 2. Said resistors are insulatedand the conductors forming them end up at two terminals 23 located underan insulating cover 24. The insulated resistor 38 is arranged againstthe partition 6, opposite the steam-generating chamber 9; the resistor22 reaches from one end to the other of the heating casing 1, along thepartition 6. The circuit of the resistor 22 includes an adjustablethermostat and a lighted signal, for example a signal lamp, not shown inthe drawings. The supply to the resistors .22 and 38 is made through anelectric cable 25 protected as it leaves the handle by a semi-flexiblesleeve .26. The flexible pipe '12, insuring the water supply, followsthe cable 25 and goes through the sleeve 26 with it to end with therigid pipe 10. An obturation knob 27, with pressure screw, enables theoperator to close or to open at will the Water supply. The tankcontaining water, which ,is not shown in the drawings, is a small jar ortank which may be attached, at an adjustable height, adjacent the plug,for example by moving it along .a vertical strip or slider. the tankbottom.

To use the iron described for the usual ironing; that is level, one actsas follows: the water supply being closed by the knob '27, the iron isplugged in the electric current supply. When the iron reaches thesuitable temperature, which may be signalled by the putting out p Theflexible pipe 12 ends somewhat above tank is attached at. Thevaporization is nearly instantaneous in the steam-generating chamber 9.The steam flows in the overheating chamber 13, where it is overheated,then it escapes, .under pressure, through the holes 5. The steampressure cannot go beyond a certain limit value, as the water supply isstopped when the steam pressure reaches the water column pressure. Thesteam flow is increased by raising the tank. It is possible to stopcompletely the steam flow by locating the tank at a level below theapparatus one. It is to be noticed that said apparatus insures by itselfthe safety, without the help of any safety valve.

By taking out the plug 16, it is possible to clean and to scale theapparatus. A thermostat may also be added for closing the liquld supply,as long as the adequate temperature has not been reached, either bysqueezing on a point of the water supply pipe 12, or by acting on asmall valve located in the rigid pipe 10.

The great advantage of the iron described is that it may be used notonly for ordinary fiat ironing, but also as a shell iron or heatingsteam sleeve-iron. For this purpose, a stand 28 is associated with theiron, stand which is made up of two legs 29 and 30 having wide bases 31and 32, which may include rubberized ends, insuring a better seating,particularly in the case when the table is not absolutely level. Thelegs 29 and 30 are linked with one another, the end of the leg 30abutting the leg 29, in the use position, that is in the position ofmaximum spacing. Theleg 29 is longer than the leg 30 and extends at itsupper end to form a vertical upright 33 which may be engaged in eitherone of the three housings 34, 35 and 36 provided in the handle 18 of theiron. Said housings have a section which is not circular. The directionof 36 is chosen so that three different positions may be given to theiron. It is seen that, in the position of Figure 3, the upright 33 beingthus engaged in the housing 34, it is possible to iron over the big endof the iron. In Figure 4, the upright 33 being engaged in the housing35, it is possible to iron on the iron sole or bedplate. Finally inFigure 5, the upright 33 being engaged inthe housing 36, it is possibleto iron over the small end of the iron.

When the stand is not used, the legs 29'and 30 may be folded against oneanother. The stand 28 being thus folded, for using it, it is held in onehand, the upright 33 is engaged in the chosen housing, the whole set isturned over and the legs 29 and 30 are spread by setting them on atable. It is to be noticed that the arrangement chosen for the steamgenerating chamber 9 and especially the provision of the flanged holes 8prevents flowing of the small amount of water contained in the cup 7when the iron is turned upside down.

Thanks to the arrangement of the iron described, a

much larger use of said iron is attained, the steam projectionpreventing up to now turning over the iron.

It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to theembodiment described and that many changes may be brought theretowithout departing from the scope of this specification.

The overheating and steam-generating chambers may, for example forhelping to scale the apparatus, be made removable. For this purpose, thetwo tubes 14 and 15, instead of being screwed in the partition 6, willbe screwed in the bottom of the shell 3 and will go through the housings34, 35 and 'bustible gas, replacing the electric the partition 6, with asealing joint. The sealing will similarly be insured all along the jointof the partition 6 with the shell 3. As to the steam-generating chamber,the cup comprising it will be attached to the partition 6 with screwsand a sealing joint.

Other embodiments may be provided to enable the use of the iron in aplurality of different angular positions, for example through a link ora swivel joint arranged either in the apparatus itself, in its stand, orbetween the apparatus and its stand, along with locking means for saidjoint.

The invention may have various applications. Thus, most of thearrangements described for steam projection may be applied to an ironingmachine. The invention is not limited to the production of watervapours, but on the contrary another liquid may be used, for

.example to treat a fabric in various operations. The

iron or the ironing machine may be supplied with comscribed.

I claim: 1. Steam fiat iron, which comprises a handle, a sole with anabsolutely flat ironing area raised along all of its periphery by a verygentle curving and having, as

seen from below, a very narrow rounded off forward end and a very widebackward end, supporting means cooperating with said handle, means forinterlocking said handle and supporting means said interlocking meansbeing carried by the supporting means, a plurality of angularly relatedopenings provided in said handle, and means for supplying the iron withliquid from an outside source thereof, each said opening being arrangedto receive said interlocking means, the relative position of saidsupport and handle being different from one opening to another, so astogive the iron, turned over on its' support several working positionsin each one of which the flat surface of the sole has a differentangularity.

2. Steam flat iron as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a plate-likepartition provided a slight distance away from said sole, a very flatoverheating chamber formed between said sole and said partition, a cuplocated against said partition and said sole in order to form againstsaid partition a very fiat steam generating chamber covering a part ofsaid partition only, a pipe connecting said steam-generating chamberwith the means provided for supplying the iron with liquid, an electricheaterresistor extending along that face of said partition which isopposite the sole, an auxiliary heater resistor provided on that part ofsaid partition facing the steam-generating chamber, and a thermostat cutin the circuit of said first-named resistor provided for heating theoverheating chamber, said pipe comprising a calibrated part with a verysmall inside diameter, flanged holes being provided in said cup forconnecting said steam-generating chamber with said overheating chamber,openings being provided in said sole for the passage of the steam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS595,411 Reno Dec. 14, 1897 2,337,078 Morton Dec. 21, 1943 2,345,413Morton Mar. 28, 1944 2,533,995 Chapin Dec. 12, 1950 2,573,174 Bate Oct.30, 1951 current supply de-

